Go Sms Pro For Cherry Mobile Flare Lite
Zulma Busher
After over a month of using my Cherry Mobile Flare, I can finally say that it is my favorite Pinoy Android phone. Sure, there are other phones from MyPhone or Starmobile that competes with Flare, but Flare is the best.
Not easy to please others by asking for help, keeping your independence, and not feeling like a burden. The end result is guilt. As if MS is not enough, this reality gets heaped on top. Guilt is the cherry on top. A rotten cherry at that.
The Xperia Z3 is a nice looking and powerful device that feels solid in the hand and comes with a dedicated camera button and MicroSD slot but in terms of imaging technology the Xperia Z line has not made any noticeable progress since the Z1. The Z3 still has to make do without optical image stabilization and shows the same pixel-level image quality issues as its predecessors. In addition the new wideangle lens seems to be more prone to produce flare. Focus hunting and a flickering effect limit the usefulness of the video output.
With its boxy shape the Xperia Z3 works ergonomically well when used as a camera and the physical shutter button and MicroSD slot are great features for mobile photographers. The device is responsive in both general use and when using the camera functions. However, the default camera app, which has essentially remained unchanged since the Xperia Z1, is in dire need of an overhaul. Things are easy as long as you stay in Superior Auto mode but as soon as you want some control over your shooting process the app is very unintuitive and lacks any obvious structure to the UI. For example, you have to lower the resolution to 8MP in order to get access to some features and settings and 4K video is a separate shooting mode instead of just another video resolution. Of course alternatives are available in the Google Play Store but there is no guarantee of 100% compatibility.
In our review of the Xperia Z2 we weren't too impressed with the Sony's pixel-level image quality and unfortunately on the Z3 we have encountered many of the same problems. Luminance noise and the detail-blurring effects of noise reduction are clearly noticeable right from base ISO and get pretty bad as you climb up the ISO scale. From ISO 640 upwards hardly any fine detail is left and images are only really usable at smaller viewing sizes. In addition the new lens with its wider viewing angle showed quite severe softness on the right side of the frame and has also introduced a pronounced tendency to produce lens flare with bright light sources inside or just outside the frame. We also found the Z3 to be a little more prone to highlight clipping than some of its peers, especially at higher sensitivities.
On the plus side exposure is reliable and chroma noise well controlled across the ISO range. The 20.7MP sensor also offers a lot of pixels for cropping but for many users shooting at 8MP might actually better a better option. Not only do you have more shooting functions at your disposal but some of the image imperfections become less intrusive as well. In video mode the Z3 is capturing smooth footage but we are also seeing the same lens flare and softness as in stills mode. In addition a flickering under lower artificial light and focus hunting make it difficult to use the Sony's video output for more serious projects.
The Sony Xperia Z3 has not significantly improved on its predecessor, the Z2, but with a DxOMark Mobile score of 79 it's enough to share the spoils with its predecessor and the Samsung Galaxy S5 at the top of the DxOMark mobile ratings table.
In testing the Xperia Z3 images show "good detail preservation outdoors and in low light conditions, low noise levels in all lighting conditions, good overall exposure and pleasant colors in most situations." The autofocus is reliable as well but "color shading is visible in some outdoor situations and flare can be observed in backlit scenes. Flash exposure is a little shaky and white balance a little unreliable when flash is mixed with other light sources.
Xperia Z3 has a very good camera. Not comparable by today APS-C or full frame digital standard but for a compact device it is good. I remembered my 1st digital camera from Konica Minolta. It was a Dimage Z3, 4MP with a very capable zoom lens. Still bigger than this Xperia Z3 but takes crappy pictures. In short, mobile device camera has gone a very long way with a lot of features now. I don't carry my mirrorless everyday with me, instead I carry my phone with a very capable camera now. You can get very good pictures from a phone if you are taking pictures and not being too concern about your hardware. Taking picture is an art not science. Use your imagination more than your hardware and you will create something beautiful. So quit complaining and start taking pictures.
As previously stated I have no beef with the device, I don't have an issue that you can make a call with it. I respect your view that it is like reviewing a point and shoot. I don't agree that they are the same thing. A P&S can't surf the net, receive emails and make calls and a plethora of other things. I don't like mobile phones myself, mostly because of the socially negative impact they have. For example, phone zombies walking into you in the street because they are using their phones and are insensible to the world about them, couples taking their mobiles out and not each other to dinner or to the pub, people texting in meetings, dis-attending to a speakers while texting, or using in school/college classes, while driving causing accidents and deaths. Mobile phones suck from my point of view. I suspect I have a minority view point on this but this technology is more socially regressive than progressive.
Yes you are right, I have added another element to the discussion, but not without first setting out why I think there is a difference between cameras and mobile phones with an image capturing function. I find it sinister that this function has more profile than the erratic networks the suppliers use, more holes than a Swiss cheese with poor reception and signal drop offs. Perhaps putting a sweetie in the bag for consumers is another way of justifying the ridiculous tarrifs folks are charged for a mediocre phone service. Call it a camera and you have the illusion of added value, except it's not a camera. The Sony R100 series for example is a camera and pocketable and takes better photographs than any current phone.
As for Z3, I don't understand how SONY keep screwing up its mobile division. Z have bad screen, Z1 have ok screen yet still the non-removable film. Z2 and Z3 are a lot better but camera still far behind Apple and Samsung which uses SONY sensor.
So? They got a bad sample and that's what they reviewed, instead of notifying Apple (not really ethical... But then again, it's all about glorifying Apple and trashing any competitor...) Do you have any REAL evidence that every iPhone is perfect? I'm pretty sure that if you received a less-than-perfect iPhone for review you'd immediately notify Apple and ask for a better one. You know, one of those cherry picked for review...
"Do you have any REAL evidence that every iPhone is perfect? I'm pretty sure that if you received a less-than-perfect iPhone for review you'd immediately notify Apple and ask for a better one. You know, one of those cherry picked for review..."
I find it pretty much useless to report on anything iPad + pen input. There are a LOT more interesting subjects for us mobile and/or tablet users. For example, reviews of new flagship devices like the Note4 (or, in this case, the Z3).
"There are a LOT more interesting subjects for us mobile and/or tablet users." - now you believe yourself to be the spokesperson for mobile users in connect and that everyone shares the same opinions as you do
The iPhone 15 Pro allows users to capture 48MP photos in HEIF or JPEG format in addition to Raw files, while new lens coatings claim to cut down lens flare. How do the cameras in Apple's latest flagship look in everyday circumstances? Check out our gallery to find out.
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